Admin     Oct 4, 2022

German International Cooperation (GIZ) set to implement a health system strengthening programme in Gombe State

A delegation from the GIZ (German International Cooperation) paid a courtesy visit to Commissioner of Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, in the company of the Executive Secretaries of the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (GoHealth) Dr. Abubakar Musa and State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Abdurrahman Shuaibu.

Dr. Abubakar introduced the GIZ delegation led by Fatima Zanna, Tajudeed Ibrahim and Nasir Umar, and the proposed program - Backup Health which is going to be implemented in only two states in Nigeria Gombe and Niger States.

Speaking on behalf of the Delegation, the Technical Adviser of the program, Fatima Zanna, said that the Backup Health program is funded by the German Ministry for Economic Development and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom. The programme will support the states to implement an integrated approach to health services delivery. The programme will start by first conducting an appraisal on integration of health services in the state and then come up with evidence driven strategies to be implemented during the duration of the programme in the state. During this visit, the team will interact with various stakeholders within the health system, the health care facilities and the community.

Dr. Nasir reiterated that they will work with the system to co-collaborate and co-create and arrive at recommendations that will align with state interests. The appraisal will cover visits of not just facilities, but also service users so as to have a holistic idea of the processes.

 Tajudeen noted that Nigeria has mobilized over $3.5 billion and over ~$2.57 billion~ US dollars, yet our facilities do not look like these amount has passed through our system. He decried the activities of states who do not use the funds judiciously, and unnecessarily intervene in the decision process. Another problem he noted was the non payment counterfund funding. He concluded that with service integration, facilities and programs can better make use of their resources for maximal impact.

The Hon. Commissioner in his response welcomed the team to Gombe State in general and the ministry of health in particular. He stated that there is the need for training and development in facilities, and also to augment the numerous activities of the Governor Inuwa Yahaya led administration. He stated his appreciation to the GIZ and thanked them for choosing Gombe State to benefit from the Backup Health programme. He further mentioned that the heath system in Gombe State have been stretched due to influx of people from the neighboring states that have been ravaged wity insecurity. He also mentioned the readiness of the present administration to provide all necessary support to development partners working in the state and assured them of the state’s governments support throughout the duration of the programme implementation.